Contribution
My Lords, I too thank the noble Baroness, Lady O’Grady, for presenting this important report for debate.
Some 10 years ago, the UK led the world in tackling modern slavery. In 2012, I introduced the first anti-slavery and anti-trafficking Bill into the House of Lords, and, with the co-operation of everyone, we got it through. But it got stuck in the Commons, as usual, so I sent it to Prime Minister Cameron, who got his Home Secretary, now the noble Baroness, Lady May, to form a committee to design a more comprehensive Bill. I was privileged to sit on that committee, and it became the Modern Slavery Act—a landmark piece of legislation worldwide.
But 10 years later, our leadership has weakened. Policy changes have made things worse. Victim support, the national referral mechanism—the NRM—and immigration policies have all changed, and these changes have left victims in greater danger. I welcome this timely report as we plan the next decade of action.
For many, modern slavery seems rather distant: it does not seem to affect daily life, they think. But, as has already been mentioned, slavery is involved in the manufacture of our clothes, in washing cars and in serving food. We ought also to understand that the UK Government are buying Chinese solar panels made by victims of modern slavery. Does the Minister not agree that this should stop forthwith?
Victims feel trapped; without support, there is no escape. One major issue is the tightening of the NRM criteria. This has drastically reduced the number of victims receiving support. In 2022, as we mentioned already, 89% of cases received a positive reasonable grounds decision, but by 2024 this figure fell to just 53% and, worse still, 35% of all cases are now rejected because of “insufficient information”. This was once rare but now accounts for over half the negative decisions. The committee’s report makes this clear. It states:
“The requirement for objective evidence to make a reasonable grounds decision has deprived many of support they would previously have been entitled to”.
Even for those who qualify, support lasts only for the recovery period. This period is now technically only 30 days, which is far too short for victims recovering from severe trauma. Many suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and disorientation. They have faced rape, violence and coercion. Recovery takes time. Many victims also wait a long time for a conclusive grounds decision, but, when they finally receive it, support does not continue. Instead, it often stops. Many are left homeless, destitute and at risk of further trafficking. Without housing or long-term support, how can they rebuild their lives? How can they help to bring traffickers to justice?
Between 2017 and 2019, I proposed several Private Members’ Bills to extend support for victims after a conclusive grounds decision. Sadly, I was unsuccessful, but I am pleased that the committee has highlighted this issue. At this stage, I pay tribute to the marvellous Chief Whip on the Labour side in the House of Lords, Roy Kennedy—the noble Lord, Lord Kennedy. He always supported me. In fact, he used to say, “The thing to do about these Private Members’ Bills is stop people putting down amendments. If you find anyone is putting down an amendment, just you tell me and I shall go and lean on him until he stops breathing”—he was a great help indeed.
Another concern is the way that modern slavery is treated as an immigration issue, as has been mentioned already. Victims are often seen as illegal immigrants first, and they are not recognised as people who are suffering extreme exploitation. This discourages reporting. Many victims, especially those trafficked from overseas, fear detention or deportation. Modern slavery is not about immigration: it is a serious human rights abuse issue. At the same time, modern slavery remains widespread in our economy. Investigations into major retailers have shown this. Charities and front-line organisations work tirelessly to support survivors, but they cannot do so alone. They need the Government to support them. This means safe housing, financial stability and long-term security. It means tackling modern slavery as a crime, not as part of immigration enforcement.
One initiative that works very well is the victim navigation scheme, run by Justice and Care. It has a 97% success rate in securing convictions for modern slavery cases, where it has also helped victims. I have advocated for this scheme before and I do so again. The Government must expand it nationwide.
The UK once led the world against modern slavery. We must do so again. Let us support this report and help the victims recover and rebuild their lives.